KARACHI, Nov 7: Health experts have claimed that anthrax is not a contagious disease as it is mainly found in animals caused by bacillus anthracis, found naturally in environment.
This consensus emerged at a seminar on anthrax, organized by the Pakistan Press Foundation on Wednesday.
Elucidating her point of view on “How to handle anthrax and other biological agent threats”, AKU’s Dr. Afia Zafar, urged the masses not to get panicky. Anthrax organisms can cause infection in skin, gastrointestinal system or lungs. “It can, however, be prevented with the appropriate use of antibiotics”, she added.
She said anthrax spores are found in the soil and they can survive in the environment for a along time. The spores form of bacillus anthracis remain dormant until they find a favourable environment for germinating and initiating the systematic infectious stage.
“Anthrax spores often contaminate goat and other animal hides. Only the germinating form of bacillus antharcis is fatal and it is yet not established, if it proliferates outside the animal body”, she said.
She said for anthrax to be effective as a covert agent, it must be aerosolized into very small particles. To accomplish this task a great deal of technical skills and special equipment is required. If these small particles are inhaled, life-threatening lung infection can occur, but prompt recognition and treatment would be effective.
Referring to suspicious unopened letters, she suggested that they must not be opened, shaken or emptied in the open, besides the envelopes or packets be placed in a plastic bag or some other type of container to prevent the leakage of its contents.
If the recipient does not have a container, he must cover the envelope with clothing, paper or trash. He must also wash his hands with soap and water to prevent the spread of any powder to his face.
Dr. Afia said that for creating a weapon from anthrax, it is required that a large number of spores be grown in a laboratory, purified and then combined with a fine powdery substance, ensuring that they do not clump together.
“To be effective as a weapon, anthrax spores must remain airborne in sufficient concentrations to allow the victim to inhale a large number of them. For acquiring the disease by an individual, 8,000 spores must be inhaled into lungs,” she contended.
Terming the disease as occupational, she maintained that butchers, or factory employees working at places of animals hides were exposed to the severity of the disease.
JPMC’s director Prof. K.A. Shakoor, dilating on the “Status of Anthrax in Pakistan”, said situation in Pakistan was well under control as far as the status of the disease was concerned.
The National Institute of Islamabad had all prerequiste facilities available to diagnose the disease.
“We have instructions from federal Government to refer all reported cases to the institute, and so far, 15 cases have been reported at the NIH, out of which seven resulted in the negative while five are in the process of being and the rest three were yet be tested, he said.
He informed that at the AKU, three cases were reported, out of which one was a bank employee while another hailed from a computer institute. The JPMC had not received any such case.
Dr. Mohammad Zakaria, Director Central Health Establishment in his address said that the NIH was coordinating with all provinces where four centres had been set up for handling any eventuality.
Any case reported from across the country would be sent to the NIH first, from where it would go to Director-General Health who would refer the case to the chief secretariat from where it would be notified officially, she added.
AKU’s Dr. Rubina Hasan said that the diseases of anthrax was centuries-old which came into limelight specially during last few months.—PPI